Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune neurological disease of the central nervous system featuring delayed type hypersensitivity and characterized by lymphocytic inflammation and demyelination of the white matter. This proposal focuses upon the efficacy of specific antibodies, encephalitogenic myelin basic protein and non-encephalitogenic peptide antigens for the treatment of EAE in guinea pigs and rabbits. The use of the various antigens of known amino acid sequence will help document specific responses which may be modified at the antigenic level. The successful suppression of EAE with a specific antigen or antibody will define a course for immune paralysis and may lead to rational treatment of similar demyelinating diseases in man.